On July 1, 2011, during the summer between 7th and 8th grade, Zachary Hurst, the son of Dave and Karen Chico Hurst, woke up with severe yellowing of his eyes and skin. His concerned parents had never previously witnessed any symptoms of this sort.
After several months of testing, Zach’s diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) was confirmed in February, 2012. PSC is a chronic liver disease in which the bile ducts inside and outside the liver become inflamed and scarred and eventually narrowed or blocked. When this happens, bile builds up in the liver and causes further liver damage.
Fortunately, through aggressive treatment and great medical care, his physicians at Albany Medical Pediatric Gastroenterology and Mt. Sinai’s Pediatric Hepatology and Transplant Program, Zach was able to have a somewhat normal high school experience. He was able to play four sports and maintain an extremely high academic standing. Zach was one of the top goaltenders in the high school league in grades 10-12. As a junior, he was not only named Goalie of the Year, but was also co-MVP of the league. He graduated valedictorian of his class at LaSalle Institute and also completed 63 credits simultaneously at HVCC; again all while playing four sports and dealing with his medical condition, which caused extreme fatigue and other complications.
Two months into his college experience at Stony Brook University, things came to a crashing halt. He was rushed to the hospital at 2 am for extreme abdominal pain and required a procedure to clear a blocked bile duct. He had internal bleeding and missed two weeks of school. He was able to fight through this setback and finished the semester and the year at Stony Brook, making the President’s List both semesters. He returned to Stony Brook for his second year only to have the same setback one and a half months into the fall semester. This time the procedure to clear the clogged bile duct did not work and he was forced to withdraw from school. After meeting with his team of doctors, it was determined that he was in need of a transplant. The disease had progressed much faster than expected. Zach was placed on the transplant list, but in New York, the wait can take years before a match is found. A living donor proved to be a much better option. The news that neither parent was a suitable donor was a significant blow. Fortunately, his uncle Dennis was a match.
On March 27, 2018, doctors removed Zach’s liver and primary bile duct and replaced it with 60 percent of Dennis’ liver. The surgery took place at Mt. Sinai in NYC. The turnaround has been nothing short of a miracle. Zach went into surgery weighing just over 100 pounds with yellow skin and eyes and a failing liver. Six months later, he ran a 5K. He graduated from the University at Albany in December 2019, built a house in 2020-21, got married in September 2022, and is working as a software engineer (his dream job). He is also playing hockey again! His younger brother loves hanging out with him.
“We are truly grateful for the tremendous sacrifice Dennis made. His recovery was difficult and he was out of work for a significant amount of time. His gift allowed Zach to regain his health and his life and us to keep our family together.”
-Dave Hurst and Karen Chico Hurst
Your year-end tax deductible financial contribution helps us save lives